Faith leaders from across Central Florida say now is the time to get an interfaith alliance up and running.
- Leaders of several religions met in Lake County Monday
- Plan for interfaith alliance network to reach more people
- Hopes to deter religious extremism
The leaders from several different religions met at the Islamic Society in Lake County Monday. The group said they were already working on a plan when Omar Mateen opened fire on the Pulse nightclub, killing 49 people. Once the shooting started, Mateen declared his allegiance to ISIS to law enforcement.
"We're defying the norms of fear and we want to reach out beyond our comfort zone to see how people can come together. And we could be a support system for one another," said Azhar Subedar, a Florida interfaith leader.
He said the support is especially important after tragedy struck home two weeks ago in Orlando.
Azhar Subedar said he prayed and helped console families of the victims.
That massacre was an eye-opener for the religious leader.
"What has gone on in Orlando since June 12 has just made clear how important it is to have the network already established,” said James Coffin, executive director of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida. “If we have the opportunity to share a broader picture, it could be that we might share it with a potential extremist who would say, ‘well maybe I need to rethink this.’"
The group is vowing to cooperate and coordinate efforts to tackle issues in the community. They are hoping this will be key to helping each other in case of another tragedy.
"The people of different faiths have come together and they have strengthened those existing relationships,” said Subedar. “Many of these relationships are already in place, but now we are making them stronger because we feel the need to become more close-knit."